Pat Quinn had what he described as a thrill of a lifetime when he took his turn in the Olympic torch run Wednesday.

Or, as one media joker put it, torch walk.

OK, so there might be a few more potholes on Groat Road after Quinn lumbered through, but it was still a thrill.

"It was incredible," said the coach, who's been on two Canadian Olympic teams. "The bus that took everybody to the designated spot was filled with Canadians from all parts of this world and every one of them was proud as punch."

- With Ryan Stone still chasing his first ever NHL goal - 35 games and counting - Quinn was asked to recall his first tally, way back in 1968.

"Short-handed breakaway," he grinned, knowing full well that nobody was buying it, not from a stay-at-home defenceman who only scored more than two goals in a season once (when he had a career-high five with Atlanta in 1973-74).

"I got a pass back to the point, moved up to the top of the circle and threw a wrist shot. Not a lot of guys slapped it back then and I didn't slap it very well so I threw a wrist shot at the net and it went in."